Roses and Rakshasas
by Dinas Emrys
Summary: Ruby manages beg Weiss into a game of Dungeons and Dragons, along with the rest of the team, with Pyrrha as the DM. Each player gets to indulge their fantasies a little, but none more than Weiss, who discovers the joys of playing a Chaotic Neutral sorcerer with slight sociopathic tendencies. WhiteRose and Bumbleby. Rated T for mild Fantasy Violence, and a fireball or two.
1. Gather the Party

Author's Note: Something fun and short for me to whip up when I'm having trouble with Vigilante or Premium Well. Team RWBY plays D&amp;D.

**Gather the Party**

"You actually got Blake to agree to this?"

"You really have no idea how much of an adorable nerd she is, do you?" Weiss could hear Yang chuckle to her sister from the other side of the stacks, the book-laden shelves doing little to muffle the blonde's piercing voice. The heiress sighed, burying herself deeper into the textbooks. She'd come here _specifically_ to avoid the others. She might have a week left before the paper was due, but knowing the others' study habits, she expected she'd have plenty to do next week pushing the sisters to finish their own work.

"You're sure this is really a good idea?"

"I'm all for it. Just might be difficult to rope Weiss into something like this."

Weiss sighed. The last time she had heard this conversation, their attempt to 'rope' her in, had been right after the food fight. That time, she'd ended up puzzling her way through that ridiculous tabletop war game. The units hadn't even made any sense. Vacuo had never had a cavalry, at least not of warhorses, and _definitely _not during the same era as Mistral's robotic advances.

… that trap card Yang had played was _completely_ overpowered.

Fine. If they wanted to try to get her into another game, if they were going to interrupt her studying, the least she could do was head them off.

"Rope me into something like what, exactly?"

Ruby and Yang froze as they rounded the corner, looking over to find a particularly cross heiress glaring at them from one of the work tables, a small mountain of books placed meticulously within reach.

"Oh, hey ... Weiss. Fancy finding you here." Ruby's awkwardness kicked into high gear

"In the library, where I said I would be? Yes, it is _highly_ unlikely."

"No. Just … in this particular section. Economic treatises all of a sudden?"

"Good luck." Grinning, Yang waved a goodbye, slipping away and leaving her sister at Weiss' mercy.

"It's quiet." Weiss closed the reference book, making sure to mark the page for her citation. "Now, what did you want?"

"Well, I thought that maybe, we could … if you want, of course … play this game I just got."

"What is it this time?" Hopefully it would be another war game. She should be able to commit suicide fairly quickly – bow out and get back to her essay.

"Dungeons and Dragons?"

Ugh. Exactly what she needed. Another of those long-running games where she couldn't sneak away after getting herself or her armies killed, captured, beaten, or out-bet. Why couldn't Ruby just want to play cards?

"Exactly why are we doing this?"

"It's a team building exerci-"

"No."

"… chance to bond?"

Weiss didn't even bother to refute that one, just raised an eyebrow and waited. She could easily outwait her. Ruby squirmed under her gaze, uncomfortable under her partner's scrutiny.

"I … I know you didn't have a lot of 'fun' time growing up, so I thought that maybe I could, you know …."

"Make it up to me?"

"Was it a dumb idea?"

_It's annoying, and poorly timed, is what it is. _Still, she meant well.

"No, Ruby, it wasn't." "But I'm fine, and honestly, this isn't the kind of thing I find fun."

"But, the new version just came out, and I … wanted to play it with … you." Ruby blinked, her eyes wider and more dejected than Weiss had ever seen them. She fought the urge to growl. That look should be illegal. At least banned on school grounds. "Could we try it, please?"

"… fine." It was amazing how guilty her girlfriend could make her feel, even over something as silly and pointless as a roleplaying game. But if it made the younger girl happy, she could survive _one _game. She let Ruby bounce several times before holding up her hand. "But, one game _only_. If I stop, no badgering me into playing again."

"Sure!" Ruby burst into a grin, rummaging in her bag for the game's handbook. "Don't worry Weiss, I'll make sure you love it. It'll be great. We got Pyrrha to run the game for us, and Yang got Blake to play, so we can all play as a team!"

That was something. Pyrrha running the game would probably keep things from devolving into the Rose Sister Competitions.

"Since this is your first time playing, Weiss, I can roll a character for yo-"

"I'll make my own."

"You sure? It can take some getting used to."

"Since it's new, there probably isn't a mountain of source material. I'm sure I can handle making a highly effective character."

"It's not really about that. Just kinda … make someone who you want to play."

"When I play, I play to win."

"You don't really win at D&amp;D, Weiss."

Weiss shrugged, and added Ruby's game book to the stack in front of her.

* * *

When the time for the game rolled around, Weiss was confident she understood most of the rules. The advantage mechanic seemed a little limited, but it did seem to make things simplistic.

The others were already in the library, gathered around one of the larger tables.

"Would it be alright if Jaune played too? Ruby said you only agreed to one session, and three players can make for a fairly small group."

Weiss caught the glances her teammates threw at her. Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune were an open secret – the only one oblivious was Jaune himself, and unfortunately, he had managed to develop a crush on Weiss. His attempts to ask her out had become more and more frequent, and infinitely more annoying. She had considered admitting that she was seeing someone, but that would only lead to more questions. Who was she dating? How long had she been dating them? Did she see it going anywhere? Frankly, her love life wasn't any of his business. She had hoped that after the dance, things would die down.

Apparently, that wasn't the case. They already had Sun sneaking through their window uninvited. She was hoping Jaune wouldn't think to try it, although the fall after she threw him out shouldn't hurt him too terribly. Any trained hunter could cushion a fall from that height.

Weiss made sure to smile when she looked at Pyrrha. Little sense in showing her annoyance now. Especially since it was just the one game; when she left, Jaune would be able to fill in her spot. "That sounds fine to me. I'm sure he can make himself useful."

Quietly sidestepping the awkwardness, Weiss followed the others' example as they pulled out their character sheets, and took the dice Ruby passed her. Yang had chosen a fighter, a tall, imposing human named Tesni, with a massive broadsword slung across her back. Ruby filled the required healing position with a halfling cleric by the name of Rowan. Blake was playing a wood elf rogue named Ciara, muttering something about preferring older editions. Apparently those versions actually had her beloved ninjas. Weiss' sorceress rounded out the group nicely, giving them an edge in magic that the other three lacked. That just left Jaune.

"I," he started, whipping his guitar out from behind his back and strumming slightly off-key, as always. "Am Johann Frederick the Second. A Bard."

Weiss took a second to blink, already feeling the beginning of a headache. This was going to be a long night.

"Yang?" Weiss muttered under her breath.

"Yeah?"

"I still don't understand how someone singing in the corner actually helps us accomplish anything."

"It relies on certain items. His power is directly derived from his collection of spoons."


	2. Intimidation 101

**Intimidation 101**

Two hours later, Weiss drummed her fingers on the table while Ruby tried to barter with a captive bandit, the conversation looping as their well-meaning cleric worked in vain to persuade the reeking scumbag to tell her where his gang's hideout was. More than anything, she was ready to be done. The last hour and half had been a mixture of combat rolls, bad jokes she didn't get, and Ruby trying desperately to make this fun for her partner.

All in all, it had been a little … bland. Ruby kept dropping out of character to explain things Weiss already knew, and the Rowan character herself was just a little saccharine for her taste. Tesni was … well, she was Yang with a broadsword. If anything, she seemed less prone to puns … so that might actually an improvement. Ciara was arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, and completely, insufferably, aloof. Weiss had to admit, whatever Blake was going for was working – she genuinely _hated _Ciara. Johan …. She fought the urge to groan. She wasn't sure why Pyrrha kept trying to boost the boy's confidence, especially if Johan was a confident Jaune. She was more than ready to murder the bard, what with the rhymes, the near-suicidal bravado, and the _constant_ singing. Oh lord, the singing. She'd heard ursas carry a tune with more skill than Jaune.

Whatever her feelings about her companions, they needed the brigand to tell them where the nearby bandit camp was, to get to the next link in the current chain of deals (probably ending in them butchering the entire den and coming back with their leaders' head) but luck had not been with them. Or their dice rolls.

Jaune – no, 'Johan'_ – _had tried convincing him with his _best_ poetry, promptly rolled a 1, and strummed something that made Weiss' ears bleed. Or at least feel like they were. Rowan kept appealing to the dirtbag's better nature (one Weiss was fairly confident he didn't have) and Tesni's attempt at 'intimidation' had ended with her knocking him back into unconsciousness. Ciara was in the corner, being a quiet loner and not helping, apart from the occasional snarky comment.

Okay. She needed to think. The faster this ended, the faster she could get back to studying. Bribery and intimidation hadn't worked, and neither had appealing to whatever shred of dignity or decency this scum might have left. So, if the threat of a beating hadn't worked ….

It took her a moment to remember that technically, the brigand didn't actually exist. There might be repercussions in-game, but she could feasibly do anything she wanted. Add that she wanted this to end so she could stop playing ….

She wanted to move on. She wanted information from a reluctant bandit, and she possessed untold amounts of inherited magical might.

Yeah. She could do this.

* * *

_If you want something done right …_

_Eirwen stood up, tugging on Rowan's tunic, pulling the Tielfling back as she took her place. _

_The bandit sneered up at her, a bruise starting to purple from where Yang had punched him. "Your turn, Ice Queen?"_ Really, Pyrrha? Come on.

_ The sorceress didn't bother with a response, merely reached down, and began unlacing the bandit's boot. _

_ "Hey, while you're down there, why don't you take those pretty lips of yours, and kiss my-"_

_He never finished his sentence. Mainly because of the scream that ripped from his throat when Eirwen fired a ray of frost through his foot._

_Fighting not to retch from the smell wafting up from the disgusting appendage, she waited for the ruffian to quit whining. It wasn't like she'd taken his foot off. Yet._

_Once he quieted, she tapped the chilled skin with her dagger, waiting for him to meet her eyes. "Losing a limb to frostbite is rather … unpleasant. I am going to start with your toes, freezing them again and again until they fall off, one-by-one. When they're gone, I'll start on your fingers. We'll see how many I get through before you pass out. Then I'll have our cleric patch you up, and we'll go again, and again, and again, until you tell me what I want, or you run out of skin to freeze."_

_ He started to jerk fruitlessly in the chair, the rope keeping him firmly in place. Summoning her power to her fingertips, she called the magic into her hand, aiming down towards his small toe."_

_ "Alright! They … they're in a cave on the southern end of the forest. I'll take you there, just get her away from me!"_

_ Eirwen stood, pulling a map out of her pack before forcing the grimy man to tell her where his little friends were hiding. Turning back to the party, she dusted off her hands, light flicking between her fingers as she magically rid herself of the moron's filth._

_ "Now was that really so difficult?"_

_ Looking up, she found the others staring, their expressions a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and in the case of Ciara, something that almost looked like respect._

_ "What? You were taking too long."_

* * *

"Well, you were." Weiss ignored Ruby's gaping jaw, setting aside the 19 she'd rolled on her intimidate check. "Plus, I have that proficiency thing in intimidate, so I think I have the highest bonus anyway."

Yang leaned in towards her sister. "Hey, Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"Did you, maybe, prepare Detect Evil, or something?"

"I can tomorrow, why?"

"When you get a chance, could you check her alignment?"

"No peeking!" Weiss snapped. Granted, it wouldn't help them anyway. She'd chosen Chaotic Neutral after all. It's not like she was Evil. Just a little self-serving. If anything, it gave her the most self-interest and the most options, along with a great reason for her to completely disregard whatever inconvenient laws they ran across. Gaming 101. 'Sociopathy is the quickest way to success.' Always ask for a fee, always bring a canary, and giving gifts to your companions can _totally _make them forget the war crimes you just committed.

Clearing her throat, Weiss looked up at Pyrrha, fingers still drumming on the table. The sooner she wiped out this little patch of resistance, the sooner the game would be over.

"I assume we're headed to go deal with the bandits? Or are we letting another caravan get raided?"

"Alright. Eirwen, are you leading the group?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. Pyrrha kept insisting on using their character names, and it always took her a second to remember who she was talking to.

"I'm new at this, not a complete moron. The rogue goes in first."


	3. Character Sheets - Lvl 1

**Character Sheets - Lvl 1**

_There were some requests for the character sheets, so I gave in and whipped them up. I won't do this every level, but I might update it every few. You should be able to see most of the important changes in-story, though._

**Eirwen: Half-Elf Draconic Sorcerer (Player: Weiss)**

Level 1, EXP:0, Max HP: 9, Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Age: 35, Height: 5'5", Weight: 120 lb., Speed: 30 ft, Size: Medium

Str: 9(-1) Dex:16(3) Con:14(2)

Int: 10(0) Wis:12(1) Cha:19(4)

AC: 16

Vision: Darkvision - 60 ft

Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic

Racial Traits: Fey Ancestry, Skill Versatility (Persuasion, Intimidation)

Class Features:

Proficiencies: No armor, Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaff, light crossbow, disguise kit, lyre

Saving Throws: Con, Cha, Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Deception, Stealth, Intimidation, Acrobatics, Performance, Persuasion, Intimidation

Spellcasting: 2 spells slots, 2 spells known, Spellcasting Focus

Spell Save DC: 14 [8 + Prof (2) + Cha (4)]

Spell Attack Mod: 6 [Prof (2 )+ Cha (4)]

Origins: Draconic, Ancestor: White, Double Prof bonus when making cha check with dragons

Background: Charlatan, Specialty: Grifter

Feature: False Identity, Personality: Deadpan Snarker, Ideal: Power, Bond: Fallen Noble, Flaw: Can't resist a pretty face

Equipment: Crystal Focus, Daggersx2, 20 darts, Set of fine clothes

Carried Items: signet ring of imaginary duke, Dungeoneer's pack, disquise kit, lyre

Coins and Other Wealth: 15 gp

Spells: (2 Lvl 1 Spell Slots)

Cantrip: Mage Hand, Minor Illusions, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost

Level 1: Shield, Chromatic Orb

* * *

**Rowan: Tiefling Cleric of Life (Player: Ruby)**

Lvl 1, EXP: 0, Max HP: 10, Alignment: Chaotic Good

Age: 18, Height: 3'1", Weight: 40 lb., Speed: 30 ft, Size: Medium

Str: 13(1) Dex: 8(-1) Con:14(2)

Int: 13(1) Wis:17(3) Cha:15(2)

AC: 18, Disadvantage on Stealth, Darkvision - 60 ft

Languages: Common, Infernal, Dwarven, Celestial

Racial Traits: Hellish Resistance, Infernal Legacy

Class Features

Proficiencies: All armor, Shields, Simp Weapons

Saving Throws: Wis, Cha; Skills: Medicine, Insight, Religion, Persuasion

Spellcasting: 2 spells slots, 4 spells studied, Spellcasting Focus, Ritual Casting, Disciple of Life

SpellSaveDC: 13 [8+Prof(2)+Wis(3)]

Spell Attack Mod: 5 [Prof(2)+Wis(3)]

Background: Acolyte, Feature: Shelter of the Faithful

Personality: Optimist, Ideal: Charity, Bond: For the People, Flaw: Naive

Equipment: Chainmail, 3x Spears, shield, holy symbol

Carried Items: priest's pack, prayer book, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, common clothes,

Coins and Other Wealth: 15 gp

Spells: (2 1st lvl Spell Slots)

Cantrip: Light, Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy

Level 1: Bless, Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith

* * *

**Tesni: Human Fighter **(Player: Yang)****

Lvl 1, EXP: 0, Max HP: 13, Alignment: Chaotic Good

Age: 19, Height: 6'3", Weight: 145 lb., Speed: 30 ft, Size: Medium

Str: 19(4) Dex:14(2) Con:17(3)

Int: 9(-1) Wis:14(2) Cha:12(1)

AC: 18, Disadvantage on Stealth

Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven

Class Features

Proficiencies: All armor, Shields, Simp and Martial Weapons, Land Vehicles, dice

Saving Throws: Con, Str

Skills: Intimidation, Athletics, Perception, Insight, Survival

Class: Fighting Style: Protection, Second Wind

Feat: Heavy Armor Master

Background: Soldier, Specialty: Infantry, Feature: Rank - Sergeant

Personality: Fearless, Ideal: Independence, Bond: Allies, Flaw: Stubborn

Equipment: Chain mail, longsword, shield, two handaxes

Carried Items: Explorer's pack, insgnia of rank, set of bone dice, common clothes

Coins and Other Wealth: 10 gp

* * *

**Ciara: High Elf Rogue ****(Player: Blake)******

Lvl 1, EXP: 0, Max HP: 11, Alignment: Neutral

Age: 113, Height: 5'11", Weight: 120 lb., Speed: 30 ft, Size: Medium

Str: 12(1) Dex:19(4) Con:16(3)

Int: 16(3) Wis:12(1) Cha:14(2)

AC: 15, Darkvision - 60 ft

Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan

Racial Traits: Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, Trance, Cantrip – Minor Illusion

Class Features: Expertise (Acrobatics, Deception), Sneak Attack, Thieves' Cant

Proficiencies: Light Armor, simple weapons, rapiers, longswords, shortswords, hand crossbows, longbows, shortbows, thieves' tools, dice

Saving Throws: Dex, Int; Skills: Perception, Acrobatics, Deception, Persuasion, Slight of Hand, Stealth, Arcana, Investigation

Background: Criminal, Specialty: Burglar, Feature: Crimina Contact

Personality: Thief, Ideal: Freedom, Bond: Lost item, Flaw: Greed

Equipment: Rapier, shortbow and 20 arrows, leather armor, 2 daggers, theives' tools

Carried Items: burglar's pack, crowbar, dark common clothes including a hood

Coins and Other Wealth: 15 gp

Spells

Cantrip: Minor Illusion

* * *

**Johann: Human Bard ****(Player: Jaune)******

Lvl 1, EXP: 0 , Max HP: 9, Alignment: Neutral Good

Age: 24, Height: 6'1", Weight: 145 lb., Speed: 30 ft, Size: Medium

Str: 15(2) Dex:10(0) Con:12(1)

Int: 8(-1) Wis:8(-1) Cha:16(3)

AC: 16, Disadvantage on Stealth

Languages: Common, Dwarven,

Class Features

Proficiencies: Chainmail, Simple Weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, flute, lute, drum, Disguise Kit, lyre

Saving Throws: Dex, Cha; Skills: Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Athletics, Acrobatics, Survival

Class:

Spellcasting

SaveDC: 13, SpellAtk: +5, Ritual Casting, Spellcasting Focus

Bardic Inspiration (d6)

Feat: Healer

Background: Entertainer, Routine: Instrumentalist, Feature: By Popular Demand

Personality: Amiable, Ideal: People, Bond: Fame, Flaw: Scandal

Equipment: Longsword, leather armor, dagger

Carried Items: entertainer's pack, lute, flute, costume

Coins and Other Wealth: 15 gp

Spells: (2 1st lvl spells slots)

Cantrip: Minor Illusion, Vicious Mockery

Level 1: Charm Person, Healing Word, Heroism, Sleep


	4. Genre Blind

**Genre Blind**

"No." "No, no, no, no, no, no, _no._"

"You done?" Weiss asked, staring over at the increasingly stubborn and complaining blonde.

"Yes," Yang grumbled, hunched over and glaring at the miniatures. "But there is no way I'm walking into a cave with a sign calling it 'The Mines of Madness.'"

"Fine. If we can't continue, then I guess the game's over." Sliding the stat sheets over to Ruby, Weiss stretched and rose from her chair. "This was ... something. I hope you all enjoy your next session."

"Wait, Weiss," Ruby caught her hand before she could leave. "Come on, Yang. It can't be that bad."

"_Madness!_"

"Please?" the younger girl asked, sparing neither Weiss nor Yang from the onslaught of her puppy eyes. Sighing, Weiss perched back on the chair, while Yang slumped over the table, mumbling something about their certain doom.

* * *

_The group comes to the entrance of the cave system that the bandits have hidden inside. An outhouse sits nearby on an abandoned hill, the ramshackle structure looking ready to fall over. Rubble and bits of rotten wood lie piled around the mouth of the short tunnel that lead into the mountain, the wooden support beams rotten and crumbling._

"_Okay," Tesni growls, unsheathing the greatsword from her back. "We do this by the book. Ciara in front to scout, I'll take the vanguard, Rowan, stay in the middle with Eirwen in case we need healing. Johann-"_

"_Actually, could you wait just one second?" the bard says. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom."_

"Seriously?" Weiss asked, staring incredulously at the blonde. The _last_ thing she needed was a description of Jaune's bathroom habits when all she wanted was to finish this dumb game.

"You see, Weiss," Jaune said. "The nice thing about RPGs is the Full Immersion. You've got to really _live_ as the character. And that means that sometimes you have to do the perfectly normal things people do every day."

"Well, you're definitely immersed in _something_."

_Ahem._ Pyrrha coughed and resumed her narration. _Anyway. Following the age-old advice to 'go before we leave,' Johann peels off towards the outhouse. Opening the door, he finds someone left an everburning torch inside the wooden stool with a hole that serves as the toilet._

"I go in and shut the door."

The redhead paused in her description, head popping out from behind the tablet she was reading off. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yeah. Better now than later. Just do my business, and then we can get going."

Yang, meanwhile, was drumming her fingers on the table, the muscles in her leg tense and bouncing with nervous energy. "Jaune, that's not a good idea."

"It's just a bathroom. People probably put it here when the mine was still used. It's perfectly harmless."

Yang let out a short bark of laughter, and yanked her miniature several in-game feet away from Johann. "If he goes in, I'm getting the hell back."

Weiss looked from Yang's paranoia to Pyrrha's reluctant frown, before placing her figure alongside Yang's.

"I'm with her."

"... all right," Pyrrha said, and scrolled a little further down the module.

_As soon as Johann steps into the outhouse, the ground begins to shake. The localized earthquake grows stronger, until the others see the ground around the outhouse bulge, just before a massive purple wyrm leaps up from the ground, its mouth open wide and swallowing the outhouse whole._

"The hell!"

Pyrrha shrugged apologetically. "Jaune, roll me a dexterity saving throw to dodge, with a negative five penalty. Anyone near the building, do the same, without the penalty."

"Fifteen?"

_Johann dives through the door, barely making it out in time as the rotten planks of the outhouse are smashed to pieces inside the purple worm's maw. Ciara dodges-_

"Backflips," Blake cut in, moving her character back.

... _backflips out of the way, while Tesni, Rowan, and Eirwen are safely out of range. _

Pen and paper in hand, Pyrrha looked up expectantly. "Everyone roll initiative. Let's go down the line."

_Tesni runs forward and jams the length of her blade deep into the worm's side. It lets out a monstrous keen, but continues writhing out of the tunnel it has just created. Yanking out her crossbow, Ciara fires, her bolt sticking into the side of the monster while Rowan blasts it with holy light. Eirwen-_

"Eirwen spends her turn laughing hysterically."

The others turned to look at her, various degrees of disbelief and confusion on their faces.

"What? Johann was inside the outhouse when the creature emerged."

"Yeah," Jaune said, suspicion coloring his voice. "So?"

"So when the worm came out, it would have displaced all of the 'contents' directly upwards." Weiss couldn't help but smile. The image of Jaune drenched in waste – while thoroughly disgusting – seemed completely fitting. "Eirwen would find the image of a bard diving out of an outhouse completely covered in sewage to be utterly hilarious."

_The wyrm rises up into the air, then plunges down, burying itself in the nearby hill and burrowing its way deep within the earth. The party is left staring at a gaping hole left where the outhouse used to be, and a thoroughly soiled bard._

"Aw, come on!"

Pyrrha shrugged, looking particularly sympathetic. "I did ask if you were sure."

_While Johann trudges off to find a stream to wash in, the other four make their way to the mouth of the cave. The area is littered with dust and debris, the leftovers of previous cave-ins and rockslides. Fallen rubble piled around the entrance covers the bodies of what looks to be several goblins, killed by a more recent cave-in._

_Ciara holds up her hands as the party nears. Curious, Tesni moves closer, staring down at the little greenish bodies._

"_Trap?" she asks, looking from the corpses up to the tunnel roof._

"_Probably," Ciara nods, running her hands slowly along the stone walls, before gently brushing away the dust on the floor._

_The others move back, giving their rogue the time she needs to work. Johann returns a few minutes later, clean but with an undeniable odor, and everyone makes sure to stand upwind of their bard. By that time, Ciara finishes clearing the floor of dust. At the end of her labors, the only thing she's found is three little Dwarvish letters scratched into the tunnel floor._

"Exactly why do we care that someone scratched graffiti into the floor?" Weiss asked, tapping her pencil on the table. The sooner they got going and went through the cave, the sooner she could go back to her paper.

"Conservation of detail." Yang didn't even bother to look over, frowning down at the mostly blank graph paper. "If it's worth Pyrrha mentioning, it's probably a trap. Or she'd screwing with us."

"Yaaang. You're metagaming again." Ruby said, scowling over at her sister.

Yang's frown switched to a grin, and the blonde looked over at Weiss. "Hey, wanna learn about the bag of rats?"

_Together Tesni and Eirwen manage to haul one of the goblin corpses out from beneath the pile of rocks. Grabbing onto his ankles, Tesni gestures for Eirwen to take his hands. As soon as she has the thin greenish wrists in hand, the warrior begins to swing._

"_Now, if the trap is set off by a proximity thingamajig, all we have to do is toss the body right on top of the rune, and ..."_

_On their third swing forward, the two let go and watch as the body sails through the air and lands directly on top of the little Dwarven letters._

_A flash of light illuminates the tunnel just before another pile of rocks collapses out from the tunnel roof, blocking their way deeper into the mine and re-burying the goblin corpse. A very satisfied smile on her face, Tesni brushes goblin gunk from her hands and looks over at the sorceress._

"Technically the bag of rats should actually be a bag of living somethings, so you can get bonuses for killing stuff if there are any, but the corpse-trap-trigger trick is good too." Ignoring Ruby's glare, Yang grins and drops back into her 'warrior' voice.

"_Now, all we have to do is clear the tunnel and we're good to go."_

"_Or," Ciara speaks up. The others look over, and find her staring down the tunnel left by the worm. "We could take this route. Less likely to have traps."_

_Eirwen stares over at the rogue in disbelief. "So, in order to avoid potential danger, you want to race after the known danger that nearly ate you?"_

"_Come on, Eirwen. Once more unto the breech!" With a shout of joy, Tesni sheathes her blade, holding it in her hands, and jumps down the sloping tunnel, into almost certain doom._


End file.
